Edward IV

Synopsis: Second of a three-part televised adaptation of Shakespeare’s minor tetralogy (three parts of Henry VI and Richard III). Originally a Royal Shakespeare Company production directed by Peter Hall and John Barton, the four plays were condensed into three screenplays: Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III. This part continues with 2 Henry VI through to the end of 3 Henry VI.
Series: Wars of the Roses, The
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Television
Transmission details: 15 Apr 1965 at 20:00 (Channel: BBC1)
Duration: 175 mins

Credits

Director

John Barton; Michael Hayes; Peter Hall; Robin Midgley

Producer

Writer

Screenplay

Music

Costume

Art Direction

Cast

David Warner	King Henry VI
Donald Sinden	Richard Plantagenet, later Duke of York
Alan Tucker	Edward, Prince of Wales
Clive Morton	Sir John Talbot, later Earl of Shrewsbury
Janet Suzman	Joan la Pucelle
Charles Kay	George, Edward’s brother, later Duke of Clarence
Colette O’Neil	Lady Bona
David Waller	Father that killed his son
Derek Waring	Earl Rivers
Donald Burton	Duke of Exeter
Donald Layne-Smith	Lord Saye
Fergus McCleland	Edmund, Earl of Rutland
Hugh Sullivan	Lord Hastings
Hugh Sullivan	Duke of Burgundy
Jeffery Dench	Sir Humphrey Stafford
John Corvin	Lord Clifford
John Hussey	King Louis
John Normington	Young Clifford
Lee Menzies	Henry, young Earl of Richmond
Madoline Thomas	Duchess of York
Malcolm Webster	Alexander Iden
Maurice Jones	Earl of Oxford
Nicholas Selby	Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
Peggy Ashcroft	Margaret, daughter of King Reignier
Peter Geddis	Son that killed his father
Philip Brack	Duke of Somerset
Roy Dotrice	Jack Cade
Roy Dotrice	Edward, Earl of March, later Edward IV
Susan Engel	Lady Elizabeth Gray
William Squire	Duke of Buckingham

Additional Details

Theatre: Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Theatre company: Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type: Television and Radio Drama
Historical period: Medieval
Plays: Henry VI part 1; Henry VI part 2; Henry VI part 3
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items: Wars of the Roses Discussion

Notes

Notes: A written transcript of the series is at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
General: As reviewers noted, the production went beyond a mere recording of a stage play. Twelve cameras were used to record the performance of a cast of nearly seventy actors on a stage that had been extended to 40 feet to accommodate battle and crowd scenes. The intention was to give a sense of the impact of the stage production televisually. as The Times reviewer enthuses, the BBC directors managed a smooth transference, "changing their visual idiom yet not losing their integrity of meaning: a remarkable achievement".
History: Filming was done following the 1964 run of the plays at Stratford-upon-Avon, and took place in the theatre over eight weeks. The cycle was repeated in January and February 1966 when it was re-edited into eleven episodes of 50 minutes
and given new titles such as The FEARFUL KING.

A five-minute programme introducing the plays was broadcast on BBC1 4 April 1965 22.05:22.10.

The trilogy was released on DVD in 2016 - see separate entry.
Figures: Reaction Index 75 (BBC Audience Research). The Reaction Index is a measurement of the quality
and success of the programme with the audience who had watched it. It is based on a range of 0 to 100.)
Textual information: The text was adapted for screenplay by John Barton.
Reviews: "A Shakespearian Experience on TV", The Times, 21.4.1965, p. 13.
Alice V. Griffin, "Shakespeare Through the Camera’s Eye: IV", Shakespeare Quarterly 17 (1966): p. 385.

Production Company

Name: BBC
Notes: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

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Edward IV

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